Williams makes comeback against Hendry

Mark Williams produced a stirring comeback as he established a narrow advantage over Stephen Hendry in the opening round of the Betfred.com World Championship.

In a repeat of the 1999 final, Hendry looked set to take a healthy lead into tomorrow’s concluding session as he went 4-1 up.

But Williams was not intimidated by the seven-time world champion, and by reeling off four frames in a row he established a 5-4 lead, putting him halfway to victory in the best-of-19-frames tussle.

Despite turning 40 in January, Hendry came to Sheffield claiming he could win an eighth title.

The last time the Crucible saw Hendry triumph was 10 years ago, when Williams was his victim in the final, while his last world final was in 2002 when he lost 18-17 to Peter Ebdon.

Williams won his world titles in 2000 and 2003, but 12 months ago he dropped out of the world’s top 16, meaning he was forced to attend the qualifying tournament in March.

The Welshman avoided embarrassment there, plundering a 145 break during his victory over Tom Ford.

Hendry has also been in danger of making the plunge into the realms of the game’s also-rans and rising stars, but by finding some form at the recent Bank of Beijing China Open he banished that possibility.

Williams will also return to the top 16 next season, and both players were determined to prove this match was more than an exercise in nostalgia.

An opening break of 72 will have been a minor disappointment to Hendry, given that he was on course for a 147.

But it gave him an early lead, and a run of 46 in the next allowed Hendry to go 2-0 in front.

Williams produced a swift 75 to decide the third frame, but Hendry was back in with 61 to lead 3-1 by the mid-session interval.

After the resumption he extended his lead to 4-1.

Williams was waiting patiently for his chance to strike back.

A run of 57 allowed the 34-year-old to reduce Hendry’s lead, and 66 in the seventh frame narrowed the Scot’s advantage to just one frame.

Williams also took the next, and added a burst of 45 at the outset of the ninth, the last of the session.

Hendry responded with 28 but missed a brown to the middle which bounced back off the jaws, allowing Williams a chance to seize the overnight lead.

After taking the easy points he was faced with a tricky red along the side cushion. Williams found the heart of the pocket, and soon Hendry was left needing snookers.

Williams quickly made sure of the frame, and his overnight lead.

Earlier Ronnie O’Sullivan swept into a 6-3 lead against his fellow Essex cueman Stuart Bingham, his frequent practice partner.

The defending champion made breaks of 140 and 104, and like Hendry he had the chance of a maximum.

He had reached 73 in the final frame of the session, but a missed black put paid to his hopes of making it a break worth £157,000 – £147,000 for the maximum, and £10,000 for the highest break prize.

Meanwhile another former champion was in a spot of trouble, with Scotland’s Graeme Dott trailing 5-4 in his tricky opener against England’s Barry Hawkins, who rattled in a break of 129 in the sixth frame.